It’s never too early to consider college…for middle school and high school students to image themselves in caps and gowns, earning diplomas and degrees…and dreaming what their future will bring – jobs, family, friends and responsibilities.
Those dreams can become reality if students use the keys to success as they plan for the future. And a free program – the Las Llaves del Exito (or Keys to Success) Leadership and Career Symposium – can help students and their parents follow the road to college using a map that includes the tools they need to succeed. The event, presented by the Dallas County Community College District – partnering with the University of Texas at Arlington University Crossroads and the University of North Texas at Dallas, is for students in grades 6 through 12 and their parents so that they can explore higher education together and learn about careers, goals and skills that will help them plan for the future.
The program will be held on Sat., April 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at UNT-Dallas, located at 7300 University Hills Blvd. in Dallas. Admission and breakfast are free. Participants can pre-register at LlavesDelExitoSymposium.eventbrite.com and complete a Llaves Passport for a chance to win a $500 DCCCD scholarship and other prizes.
The half-day event will kick off with breakfast, followed by breakout sessions and a concurrent job, college and career fair. Sessions for students and parents will include:
“Soft Skills that Guarantee Your Success”; “College Is Not Just Academics”;
“Understanding Financial Aid and Scholarships”; “FAFSA/TAFSA Hands-On Clinic”; and a session during which participants can register for a $500 scholarship to DCCCD or Texas A&M University-Commerce.
“This spring, our sessions during the Las Llaves symposium will focus on soft skills, leadership development and opportunities, and financial aid and admission information that students need,” said Esther Canales, the event’s coordinator and outreach staff
member for DCCCD. “We realize that schools focus on academic curriculum to prepare their students for graduation, so we decided to build on other types of skills they will need to succeed in a college environment.”
Sponsors for the free program are: DCCCD, UNT Dallas, UTA University Crossroads, Dallas Independent School District, University of Texas Outreach Dallas, H&R Block, Dallas County Schools, La Grande 107.5FM, Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Education Is Freedom, Telemundo 39, Wells Fargo, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Ford Motor Company, Dallas Public Library, LULAC National Education Service Centers Inc., the City of Dallas, Big Thought and the North Texas Dream Team.
For more information in English, call (214) 378-1738; in Spanish, call (214) 378-1713; and online, visit dcccd.edu/KeysToSuccess.
